Can-crimping machine.



N0. 874,498. A PATENTED DEC. 24, 1907.

G. W. GRAHAM. CAN ORIMPING MACHINE. APPLICATION rum) rm. 9. 1905 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I I u INVENTOI? ATTORNEYS Fig .1.

No. 874,498. PATENTED DEC. 24, 1907. G. W. GRAHAM.

CAN ORIMPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 7 I w Fig.3. 3

WITNESSES: I lVl/E/VTOR 1n: NOIRRIS PETERS 60., wnsnmcrzm, 1:.c.

Y 2i ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

CHARLES W. GRAHAM, OF ROME, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UTIOA INDUSTRIAL COMPANY, OF ROME, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

To all whom it may concern: L Be it known that I, CHARLEs W. GRAHAM, residing at 119 East Dominick street, Rome, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Crimping Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to machinery for making cans and the like. One of the obj ects thereof is to provide simple and efficient means for crimping can heads or similar articles.

Another object is to provide means of the above general type which shall be rigid and yet readily adjustable to accommodate articles of varying shapes.

Another object is to provide means of the above type of simple mechanical construction adapted to be continuously operative and rapid in action.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the machine hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of my invention: Figurel is a sectional elevation of the same taken on line 11 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a detail elevation taken on line 22 of Fig. 3 showing the same on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a side elevation.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As tending to cast light upon the general nature of my invention, it may first be noted that, in machinery of the type with which this invention deals, it is of prime importance, on account of the low selling price of the individual product, that the rate of production be high and the manual labor required insignificant. For this reason, it is essential that the mechanism be simple so as to obviate the chance of the machine becoming deranged when run at high speed, and also to do away with the necessity of supervision While running. It may also here be Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 9,1905. Serial No. 244,835.

Patented Dec. 24, 1907.

noted that it is highly desirable in machinery of this type that the same be readily adjust= able to accommodate can bodies, or like articles, of varying shapes and to take up any wear of the parts. Another desirable feature is that the parts be adjustable in such manner that the flange may be crimped at the desired point. The above and other advantages are attained in constructions of the nature of that hereinafter described.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown at 3 a bed or base having mounted thereon, resting upon suitable ways 4, uprights or standards 5, the configuration of which is best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. As these standards, with the associated parts, are of substantially identical construction, one only will be described. Standard 5 is preferably slidably mounted upon the ways 4., being held in position as by bolts 6 projecting through the slots 7 and tying the same to the bed of the machine. About the outer circumference of this standard is a substantially flat guiding portion 8, the inner surface of which preferably lies within a plane at right angles to the ways 4 and is inwardly spaced from the plane of the arms 9, which support a bearing 10 hereinafter referred to. The extreme outer edges of these standards are turned toward one another so as to provide a shoulder 11 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The flat guiding portion 8 of the standard 5 is perforated at substantially equalintervals about a portion of its circumference, as shown at 12, and threaded through these perforations are bushings 13. Passing through each of these bushings is a square-head screw taking into a rigid curved bar 15, which is adapted to rest against the shoulder 11, as is shown in the drawings. Curved bar 15 ispreferably beveled, as shown at 16, and the inner face 17 is preferably substantially parallel to the axis of the machine.

It may here be noted that the expression inwardly, as used in this description and throughout the following claims, denotes a direction toward the center of the machine with reference to which it is used.

Bar 15 is firmly held against the bushings 13 in such manner as slightly to space it from the guiding portion 8 of the standard, as is best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. J our naled within the bearings 10 in the standards is a shaft 18, having at one end a driving pulley 19, and (preferably provided adjacent'its opposite en with an adjustable collar 20 to prevent end play thereof.

Mounted upon shaft 18 are a pair of what may be termec cones 21, the expression being used throughout this description and the following claims to designate a member provided with a conical surface, whether this member be a complete cone, mathematically speaking, or merely a frustum of a cone, as is herein shown. These cones, which are preferably hollow, and'have a finished outer surface, are provided with hubs 22 fitting the shaft and, together with collars 23 about these hubs, are longitudinally adjustable thereon. It may here be noted that the term longitudinal is used throughout the following claims to designate a direction sub stantially parallel to the axis of the shaft of the machine.

The operation of the above described em bodiment' of my invention is substantially as follows: Assuming the several parts to be positioned as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the cans 24, with the heads positioned thereon, are fed-by any desired means between the guiding surfaces 8 of the standards and rest upon the cones 21 in such manner as to cause bars 15 to force the flanges or edges of the heads against the body of the cans. This operation, which is technically known as crimping, is referred to in the following claims by such term and it is intended that, where such an expression is used, it will be interpreted as designating the above action. Shaft 18 being driven by pulley 19, the can bodies are rolled about the entire length of the curved bars 15 by means of the cones 21' and discharged, upon reaching the point 25, into any desired form of chute. In this manner, the edges are thoroughly crimped, as the length of the innersurfaces of bars 15 is considerably greater than the circumference of the head. Also, as will readily be seen, the machine is continuous in operation, as the can bodies may be fed therein by gravity at any desired rate, and each, in turn, is discharged at the point 25, after being sub jected to the operation above described.

As will readily be seen, the standards 5 'may be adjusted in a longitudinal direction in such manner as to accommodate can bodies of varying lengths and, by a longitudinal adjustment of thecones 21, cans of varying diameter may be crimped, the operative portion of the cone being, in effect, thus moved directly away from the inner surface of the crimping bars 15. Another adjustment lies in the spacing of the crimping bars with relation to the guides S, the same being readily accomplished by means of the threaded bushings 13. As these bars are held" firmly against the bushings, they maybe rigidly positioned at any desired distance from the guides bythe adjustment of the bushings.

It will thus be seen that Ihave provided means well adapted to accomplish the objects of this invention. These means, moreover, are of the simplest mechanical construction and yet are adapted to maintain a high rate of production. Also, while the machine is rigid in action, it is nevertheless readily adjustable for the purposes above-mentioned, as will be apparent. Moreover, the machine is of low first cost, and the expense of maintenance is reduced to a minimum. Another advantageous feature lies in the readiness with which any of the several parts of the machine may be removed, as for purposes of repair or renewal, in the remote contingency that such should be necessary.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention could be made without departing'from the scope thereof, I intend that all matter contained'in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be'int'erpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. I desire it also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein-described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the class described, in combination, crimping means and means provided with an inclined surface adapted to engage a can and hold the same against said crimping means, with the 'canresting at its edge upon said surface.

2. In a machine of the class described, in combination, means adapted to receive a can therebetween, said means being relatively adjustable in the direction of the length of said can, crimping means upon said means, and means provided with an inclined surface adapted to en age a can and hold the same in operative reIation to said crimping means.

3. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a pair of members adapted to receive a canbody therebetween, said members being relatively adjustable in the direction of the length of the can, crimping means upon said members, and a pair of members provided with surfaces inclined with respect to a can in operative relation to said crim ing means, adapted to engage a can andholll the same against said crimping means, said last members being relatively adjustable in the direction of the length of the can andbeing positioned to engage the can at its edges with their inclined surfaces.

4. In a machine of the class described, in combination, crim ing means, and a pair of relatively adjustab e members provided with inclined surfaces adapted to engage a can at its edges and hold the same by said edges in operative relation to said crimping means.

5. In a machine of the class described, in combination, crimping means, and a pair of conical members the surfaces of which are inwardly inclined toward one another and adapted to hold a can against said crimping means.

6. Means adapted to receive and guide a can body comprising a pair of members having can engaging and supporting surfaces inclined with reference to the axis of said body, said members being relatively adjustable toward and away from one another.

7. In can forming machinery, means adapted to receive and guide a can body about a machine, said means comprising a pair of members having can engaging and supporting surfaces inclined toward one another with reference to the axis of said body, said members being relatively adjustable toward and away from one another.

8. In a machine of the class described, in combination, crimping means, and means adapted to receive and guide a can body into operative relation to said crimping-means, said means comprising a pair of members having can engaging and supporting surfaces inclined with reference to the axis of said body, said members being relatively adjustable toward and away from one another.

9. In a machine of the class described, in combination, crimping means, and means adapted to receive and guide a can body into operative relation to said crimping means, said means comprising a pair of members having can engaging and supporting surfaces inclined toward one another, said members being relatively adjustable toward and away from one another.

10. In a machine of the class described, in combination, rigid crimping means, and means adapted to hold a headed can in operative relation thereto, said last-mentioned means comprising two relatively adjustable members having can engaging and supporting surfaces inclined with respect to the axis of a headed can positioned thereon.

11. In a machine of the class described, in

combination, rigid crimping means and substantially circular means adapted to hold a canbody in operative relation thereto, said last-mentioned means comprising two rela tively adjustable members having can engaging and supporting surfaces inclined toward one another.

12. In a machine of the class described, in combination, rigid crimping means, a shaft and a pair of conical members adjustably mounted upon said shaft, said members having their outer surfaces inclined toward one another and being adapted to hold a can body a ainst said crimping means.

13. n a machine of the class described, in

combination, a supporting member, a pair of upright members mounted thereon and provided with guiding surfaces, a shaft journaled in said members, a member mounted upon each of said uprights adapted to crimp the edge of a headed can body positioned between said guiding surfaces, and a pair of conical members adjustably mounted upon said shaft, the outer surfaces thereof being inclined toward one another and being adapted to hold a can body in operative relation to said crimping members.

14. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a pair of members adapted to receive a headed can therebetween, means whereby one of said members isadjustable toward and away from an intermediatepoint, means adapted to crimp the edge of a head upon a can between said members, and means adapted to hold said can in operative relation to said crimping means, said lastmentioned means comprising a pair of members having guiding surfaces inclined with reference to the axis of said body and relatively adjustable toward and away from one another.

15. In a machine of the class described, in combination, supporting means, a pair of members upon said supporting means adapted to receive a headed can body therebetween, one of said members being adjustable in a longitudinal direction upon said supporting means, meansadapted to crimp the edge of a head upon a can body between said members, and means adapted to hold said can body in operative relation to said crimping means, said last-mentioned means comprising a pair of members having guiding sur faces inclined with reference to the axis of said body and relatively adjustable toward and away from one another.

16. In a machine of the class described, in combination, supporting means, a pair of members upon said supporting means adapted to receive a headed can bodytherebetween, one of said members being adjustable in a longitudinal direction upon said supporting means,means adapted to crimp the'edge of a head upon a can body between said members,and means adapted to hold said can in operative relation to said crimping'means,

said last-mentioned means being adjustable with relation to said crimping means in a direction radial with respect to a can body operatively positioned therebetween- 17. In a machine of the class described, in-

combination, a pair of members adapted to receive a headed can body therebetween, means whereby one of said members is adjustable toward and away from an intermediate point, and means provided with a face substantially uniformly spaced from one of said first-mentioned members adapted to crimp the edge of a head of said can, said last-mentioned means being adjustable toward and away from said member from which it is spaced.

18. In a machine of the class described, in combination, supporting means, a pair of members upon said supporting means adapted to receive a headed can body therebetween, one of said members being adjustable in a longitudinal direction upon said supporting means, a rigid member upon each of said first-mentioned members having its inner face spaced from the guiding surface thereof, means whereby said rigid member is adjustable with reference to the corresponding firstmentioned member, and means adapted to hold said can against said rigid member.

19. In a machine of the class described, in combination, means adapted to guide a headed can body, means provided with a face substantially uniformly spaced from said guiding means adapted to crimp the edge of a head of said can body, and means adapted to hold said can against said crimping means, said last-mentioned means comprising a pair of members having can engaging surfaces inclined with reference to the axis of said body, said members being relatively adjustable toward and away from one another.

20. In a machine of the class described, in combination, means adapted to guide a headed can body, means provided with a face substantially uniformly spaced from said guiding means adapted to crimp the edge of a head of said can, said lastmentioned means being adjustable with reference to the surface of said guiding means, and means adapted to hold a can in operative relation to said crimping means, said means comprising a pair of members having guiding surfaces inclined with reference to the axis of said body and relatively adjustable toward and away from one another 21. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a pair of members adapted to guide a headed can body, a rigid member upon each of the same having its inner face spaced from the guiding surface of the corresponding member upon which it is mounted, means whereby said rigid members are adjustable with reference to the corresponding guiding members, and means adapted to hold said body'in operative relation to said crimping members, the operative portions of said last-mentioned means and the corre sponding crimping members being relatively adjustable toward and away from one another.

22. In a machine of the class described, in combination, supporting means, a pair of members upon said supporting means adapted to receive a headed can body therebetween, one of said members being adjustable in a longitudinal direction upon said supporting means, means upon one of said members provided with a face substantially uniformly spaced therefrom adapted to crimp the edge of a head of said can, and means adapted to hold said can in operative relation to said crimping means, said last-mentioned means comprising a pair of members having guiding surfaces inclined with reference to the axis of said can and relatively adjustable toward and away from one another.

28. In a machine of the class described, in combination, supporting means, a pair of members upon said supporting means adapted to receive a headed can body therebetween, one of said members being adjustable in a longitudinal direction upon said supporting means, means upon each of said members provided with a face substantially uniformly spaced therefrom adapted to crimp the edge of a head of said can, said last-mentioned means being adjustable with reference to the surface of the member upon which it is mounted, and means adapted to hold said can in operative relation to said crimping means, said holding means comprising a pair of members havin guiding surfaces inclined with reference to the axis of said body.

24. In a machine of the class described, in combination, supporting means, a pair of members upon said supporting means adapted to receive a headed can body therebetween, one of said members being adjustable in a longitudinal direction upon said supporting means, means upon each of said members provided with a face substantially uniformly spaced therefrom adapted to crimp the edge of a head of said can, said last-mentioned means being adjustable with reference to the surface of the member upon which it is mounted, and means adapted to hold said can in operative relation to said crimping means, said holding means comprising a pair of members having guiding surfaces inclined with reference to the axis of said body and relatively adjustable toward and away from one another.

25. In a machine of the class described, in combination, supporting means, a pair of members mounted upon said supporting means adapted to receive a headed can body therebetween, one of said members being adj ustable in a longitudinal direction upon said supporting means, means upon each of said members provided with a face substantially uniformly spaced therefrom and adapted to crimp the edge of a head of a can, said lastmentioned means being adjustable with ref erence to the guiding surface of the member upon which it is mounted, and means adapted to hold said can in operative relation to said crimping means, said holding means being adjustable with reference to said crimping means in a direction radial with respect to a headed can body operatively positioned therebetween.

26. In a machine of the class described, in combination, supporting means, a pair of upright members mounted upon said supporting means and adjustable thereon toward and away from one another, each of said upright members being provided with a substantially vertical guiding surface, a rigid bar mounted upon each of said upright members adjacent said guiding surfaces, each of said rigid bars being provided with a face substantially uniformly spaced from said guiding surface and being adapted to crimp the edge of a headed can body held against the same, means adapted to adjust the position of said rigid bars with reference to the upright members upon which they are mounted, a shaft journaled within said upright members and a pair of conical members adjustably mounted upon said shaft adapted to hold said can in operative relation to said crimping members, the outer surfaces of said conical members being inclined toward one another.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. GRAHAM. -Witnesses:

W. 0. FORD, E. H. CARTER. 

